Stress and illness among managers

Patricia Salt, Radcliffe College. Henry A. Murray Research Center

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between experienced stress and reported illness in male and female managers. The researcher investigated: 1) the possible sex differences in stress, illness, and the stress-illness relationship; and 2) the influence of demographic factors, behavior types, and coping styles on the relationship. The sample was comprised of 47 women and 54 men who were graduates of the Boston University Masters of Business Administration program. The participants were from the middle class, with an age range from 27 to 51. The majority of the sample was married. The men had more children than the women, and most were married to nonworking wives. All of the married women were members of dual-career couples. The participants completed mailed questionnaires that included the following measures: a Life Patterns Questionnaire (demographic...